ten,” he replied. “She deserved more, but I am a merciful man.”
“Aye,” agreed Ellen. “She did deserve more. When she was a child, however, beating her did no good. She was always twice as defiant afterwards.” Ellen hoped he was paying attention.
“She’s nae changed,” he chuckled.
Ellen wrote her message to Lady Hay and asked that she send several changes of undergarments, two soft linen shirts, half a dozen gossamer silk night garments from Cat’s trousseau, a velvet dressing gown, slippers, and some cakes of sweet soap. Cat, fleeing Glenkirk, had thought to bring her comb and brush and the brush for cleaning teeth that her great-grandmother had taught them to use. She gave the list to the earl.
“It’s not a great deal, but I’ll be here to wash for her. This is easy to carry, and will nae weigh Conall down.”
“Good girl,” he said, and turned to Conall. “Take Bana back to Glenkirk, and yer sister’s mare also. The only horses I want here are our two.”
“Oh, my lord,” pleaded Ellen. “Dinna take Bana from her. She loves so to ride.”
“She’ll have her horse back when we return to Glenkirk. The more horses I leave here, the greater her chances of escaping me. I’ll nae gie her that chance again. We stay here until she swells wi my child. Then I’ll take her home, and wed her.”
Ellen sighed. “She’s going to be very angry, my lord.”
“Since I shall be out hunting us a deer when she wakes, I’ll be spared the brunt of her anger,” he replied dryly.
It wasn’t until early afternoon that Cat woke. Conall had just returned from his errand, and Cat opened her eyes to see Ellen kneeling by the little clothes chest “What are ye doing?” she asked sleepily.
“Putting away yer clean clothes, luv. Conall has just brought them up from Glenkirk.”
Cat was suddenly wide awake. “Where is Patrick?”
“He’s been gone since dawn. Hunting a deer for us, he said.”
“Gie me a clean shirt, and my breeches, Ellie. I shall take my morning ride though it be afternoon.” She swung her legs over the edge of the bed.
Ellen took a deep breath. “I canna do it, Mistress Cat, and dinna bother being angry wi me. His lordship has sent yer Bana and my Brownie home to Glenkirk.”
Cat swore fiercely. “The horny bastard! Then I’ll walk out of here if I must, but I’ll nae spend another night in this house while he’s here.”
“He has also ordered,” continued Ellen, “that ye not leave the house for the next few days. Ye may go naked, he says, or ye may wear one of yer sleeping gowns. I am to gie ye no other clothes.”
Cat felt a terrible rage within her, but she swallowed it, for her faithful Ellie was not responsible. “Gie me something to wear,” she said wearily, “and dinna bother fussing, for it makes no difference. He’ll have it off me soon enough, for there’s only one thing he wants from his whore.”
“Mistress Cat,” scolded Ellen. “He is yer betrothed, and ye’ll soon be wed. Ye would hae already been had ye not misjudged him, and run away.”
“God’s foot, Ellie! Has he won ye over then?”
Ellen said nothing else, but handed Cat a pale turquoise-colored silk nightgown. “I’ll get ye something to eat,” she said, and left the room.
Cat let the gown slide down over her lush form. Picking up her brush, she sat back down on the bed and slowly brushed the tangles from her honey-colored hair. So he thought that by taking her horse and clothes away from her he would keep her a prisoner. Well, perhaps for a while he would. She would bide her time. But eventually, a way would open, and then she’d run from him again. It no longer mattered that he had or had not slept with Fiona—though Cat was glad he had not What mattered was that she could not and would not allow him possession of Catriona Hay. Nobody owned her. Until Patrick Leslie understood that she was a person, not an extension of him, she would fight him with all the strength in
“Aye,” agreed Ellen. “She did deserve more. When she was a child, however, beating her did no good. She was always twice as defiant afterwards.” Ellen hoped he was paying attention.
“She’s nae changed,” he chuckled.
Ellen wrote her message to Lady Hay and asked that she send several changes of undergarments, two soft linen shirts, half a dozen gossamer silk night garments from Cat’s trousseau, a velvet dressing gown, slippers, and some cakes of sweet soap. Cat, fleeing Glenkirk, had thought to bring her comb and brush and the brush for cleaning teeth that her great-grandmother had taught them to use. She gave the list to the earl.
“It’s not a great deal, but I’ll be here to wash for her. This is easy to carry, and will nae weigh Conall down.”
“Good girl,” he said, and turned to Conall. “Take Bana back to Glenkirk, and yer sister’s mare also. The only horses I want here are our two.”
“Oh, my lord,” pleaded Ellen. “Dinna take Bana from her. She loves so to ride.”
“She’ll have her horse back when we return to Glenkirk. The more horses I leave here, the greater her chances of escaping me. I’ll nae gie her that chance again. We stay here until she swells wi my child. Then I’ll take her home, and wed her.”
Ellen sighed. “She’s going to be very angry, my lord.”
“Since I shall be out hunting us a deer when she wakes, I’ll be spared the brunt of her anger,” he replied dryly.
It wasn’t until early afternoon that Cat woke. Conall had just returned from his errand, and Cat opened her eyes to see Ellen kneeling by the little clothes chest “What are ye doing?” she asked sleepily.
“Putting away yer clean clothes, luv. Conall has just brought them up from Glenkirk.”
Cat was suddenly wide awake. “Where is Patrick?”
“He’s been gone since dawn. Hunting a deer for us, he said.”
“Gie me a clean shirt, and my breeches, Ellie. I shall take my morning ride though it be afternoon.” She swung her legs over the edge of the bed.
Ellen took a deep breath. “I canna do it, Mistress Cat, and dinna bother being angry wi me. His lordship has sent yer Bana and my Brownie home to Glenkirk.”
Cat swore fiercely. “The horny bastard! Then I’ll walk out of here if I must, but I’ll nae spend another night in this house while he’s here.”
“He has also ordered,” continued Ellen, “that ye not leave the house for the next few days. Ye may go naked, he says, or ye may wear one of yer sleeping gowns. I am to gie ye no other clothes.”
Cat felt a terrible rage within her, but she swallowed it, for her faithful Ellie was not responsible. “Gie me something to wear,” she said wearily, “and dinna bother fussing, for it makes no difference. He’ll have it off me soon enough, for there’s only one thing he wants from his whore.”
“Mistress Cat,” scolded Ellen. “He is yer betrothed, and ye’ll soon be wed. Ye would hae already been had ye not misjudged him, and run away.”
“God’s foot, Ellie! Has he won ye over then?”
Ellen said nothing else, but handed Cat a pale turquoise-colored silk nightgown. “I’ll get ye something to eat,” she said, and left the room.
Cat let the gown slide down over her lush form. Picking up her brush, she sat back down on the bed and slowly brushed the tangles from her honey-colored hair. So he thought that by taking her horse and clothes away from her he would keep her a prisoner. Well, perhaps for a while he would. She would bide her time. But eventually, a way would open, and then she’d run from him again. It no longer mattered that he had or had not slept with Fiona—though Cat was glad he had not What mattered was that she could not and would not allow him possession of Catriona Hay. Nobody owned her. Until Patrick Leslie understood that she was a person, not an extension of him, she would fight him with all the strength in
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